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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books the Life of Imām 'ali Bin Mūsā Al-ridā Chapter Xiii THE TIME OF THE IMĀM The time of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, was called the Golden Time. It was the most brilliant and wonderful of all the times in Islamic history.

That is because building prospered; agriculture developed; the Islamic state dominated most regions of the world as well as Baghdad became the capital of Islamic world; rather the capital of the world, for it was the greatest city to which scholars and diplomats from everywhere in the world came in order to obtain an office in the state or to present the needs of their countries in the fields of administration, economy, and science.

We must mention the affairs of that time, for there is a close relationship between them and the research on the life of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him. The Scientific Life The scientific life in the time of Imām al-Ridā bloomed, and its activities in all kinds of science grew. That was the most developed kind of civilization progress which the Abbāsid state reached in all periods of its reign.

We will briefly present some aspects of this scientific progress as follows: The Satellite of Ibn al-Muqanna Among the most marvelous inventions of that time was the satellite which was made by Atā al-Khurasāni, better known as Ibn al-Muqanna. That satellite appeared and the people saw it from a two-month distance, and then it disappeared from them, and concerning it Abū al-Alā al-Maarri has said: Be watchful!

The satellite whose head is masked is error and enticement just as the satellite of al-Muqanna. [1] The poet Abū al-Qāsim Hibat Allah b. Sanā al-Mulk has referred to it in a poem, saying: To you, the satellite of al-Muqanna when rising is not more charming than that of the turbaned one. [2] However our references have not mentioned how that satellite was made and its apparatuses as well as they have not referred to the country where the satellite was made.

More likely, it was made in Baghdad, the Capital of the Abbāsid government in that time, any how, the making of that satellite is regarded as the greatest scientific achievement in those times. Yet another example of the scientific achievements in those times was the usage of crystal in making ships. This has been mentioned by some historians.

The Institutes and Libraries The Abbāsid government established institutes and libraries in Baghdad, that Islamic and non-Islamic sciences might be studied therein.